The Rabbit's Cage
by Streetfirre
Summary: Taurtis was just Sam's best friend, nothing more, nothing less. But, what is with that weird Taurtis clone that kept insisting otherwise? That the bunny hybrid belonged to them and only them? Will Taurtis be able to resist the clone's words or will he become the monster he fears in the name of protecting his rabbit? Cover art belongs to saoirsem05 from DeviantArt
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Game Begins**

There was a long silence as the night carried on, no animals made a sound, no people were awake except for a few stragglers that kept to themselves, and all the machinery in the area only made a quiet hum. In short, the town was the representation of peace and quiet. Taurtis glanced over at his roommate; the small rabbit hybrid was deep asleep. With a deep, quiet sigh, Taurtis shifted a bit, careful not to make too much noise. He contemplated waking his roommate so he had someone to talk to but decided against it, Sam stayed up late to do their homework so it wouldn't be right to do that to him. Instead, Taurtis grabbed their shared phone and checked if anyone was online. None of his friends were on but there was a new message on it from an unknown caller. He read it quietly, _"Taurtis, call me, it's really important. Don't tell Sam, let him sleep. You also need to delete this message after the call."_ Taurtis paused and waited several moments to decide what to do, he begrudgingly chose to head outside to the porch and answer the call. It only rang once before the voice answered. _"GoOd ChOiCe, GaMeR." "Who are you?" "My NaMe Is NoT iMpOrTaNt, BuT I'M hErE tO wArN yOu."_ the familiar yet unknown voice said calmly. _"Warn me about what?" "ThEy'Re GoInG tO sTeAl HiM fRoM yOu. YoU cAn'T lEt ThEm. DOn'T lEt ThEm StEaL yOuR rAbBiT. ThEy'Ll ChAnGe HiM. ThEy'Ll RUIN HiM. PRoTeCt YoUr RaBbIt. NeVeR lEt AnYoNe TaKe HiM. NeVeR lEt HiM lEaVe YoU, nOt LiKe EvErYoNe ElSe."_ The voice continued, it's voice getting sharper and angrier as it continued. _"Wh-what are you talking about? My rabbit? What? Are you talking about Sam? What are you going on about, who are you?!"_ However, the next voice, came from both behind him, and through the phone, making the voice more clear. _"TuRn ArOuNd JoEy."_

Taurtis froze, nobody uses his real name except Sam when he's emotional and Taurtis's parents before they... He slowly turned to look at the person, and froze. It was himself, but, he was covered in blood and held an insane look to himself, bloody knife included. Taurtis's throat got tight. _"Who are you?!" "CaN yOu ReAlLy NoT rEcOgNiZe Me? I'm YoU."_ The clone(?) said through sharp, smiling teeth. Taurtis shook his head and slowly backed up to the door. _"I could probably run inside and call Rowan and the swat team from mine and Sam's room while keeping the door locked to keep this loon out. That's what you're thinking, IsN't It? SoRrY tO bE tHe BeArEr Of BaD nEwS, BuT yOu CaN't EsCaPe YoUrSeLf."_ With a determined grimace, Taurtis tried anyway, only to see that the clone had gotten behind him somehow and was blocking the door. _"Wh- how?!" "YoU sUrE lOvE rEpEaTiNg ThE sAmE qUeStIoN. BuT I ToLd YoU aLrEaDy. YoU cAn'T eScApE wHo YoU aRe." "This...this has to be a dream, you're not real!" "Am I? TeLl Me TaUrTiS, dOeS tHiS-"_ the clone then, in an instant, surged forward and slashed Taurtis's arm, causing a red, bloody gash to form along his arm. _"-fEeL rEaL?"_ With a pained gasp Taurtis grasped his arm and backed up, this guy was insane! The clone slowly approached, matching Taurtis step for step. _"ShH, dOn'T bE sCaReD, iF yOu DiE I CeAsE tO eXiSt As WeLl. We WoUlDn'T wAnT tHaT." "Why are you here!" "I wAnT cOnTrOl." "Control of what!?" "...Us, YoU dOn'T hAvE tHe StReNgTh To PrOtEcT oUr RaBbIt, So I'Ll Do It FoR yOu." "You're not touching Sam! I won't let you!" "AnD hOw WiLl YoU sToP mE?" "I don't care if I have to kill myself to stop you, you're not going near my best friend!" "Is ThAt AlL yOu WaNt? To Be HiS bEsT fRiEnD? NoThInG mOrE?" "It doesn't matter what I want. I only want Sam to be happy." "He CoUlD bE hApPy WiTh Us, We JuSt GoTtA gEt RiD oF tHe CoMpEtItI-" "I said no! Now leave or I really will do it! Don't test me!"_ The clone glared at Taurtis. _"YoU wIlL sEe My SiDe SoOn EnOuGh TaUrTiS, oH yOu'Ll SeE."_  
With that, the clone dissipated into the ground, and the silence returned. Taurtis grimace and went inside, cradling his arm as he went to the bathroom and cleaned up the gash. You don't feel true pain in your dreams, you feel fragments and ghost pains, but not true pain, it's never this graphic. He knew something was wrong. He knew it really happened, but he didn't want to believe it. He froze halfway through bandaging his arms and bolted out of the bathroom to his and Sam's room before relaxing again. Sam was safe and the clone wasn't around. Sam was exactly where he left him. With a sense of relief flooding over him, he went back and finished treating his arm, Sam was safe, that was all that mattered. After treating his arm properly he went back to their room and changed into a long sleeve shirt, he didn't want to scare or worry Sam. Its best he keeps this to himself and maybe Coach Rowan. Yeah, its best to tell Rowan so he can help keep an eye out for that crazy clone. After a bit their alarm clock went off, waking the hybrid. Like usual, the early rising male got up with a yawn and a cheerful smile before turning to Taurtis's bed to wake him, only to see that he was already awake. _"Oh! Morning Taurtis! You're up early for once!"_ Taurtis smiled at the rabbits energy. _"Morning Sam, sleep well?"_ Sam frowned for a very brief moment before smiling _"I slept well enough, I had a nightmare but I slept well enough."_ Taurtis frowned softly _"What about?" "It was just a silly nightmare, it would never happen. It's okay Taurtis."_ Taurtis sat beside Sam, _"I'm your best friend, it's my job to care."_ Sam sighed and fidgeted uneasily, his ears tilting and moving with his uncertainty. _"Really Taurtis, it's fine!"_ Taurtis just shook his head and pat Sam on the head. _"Alright, alright, I'll back off since it's bothering you so much. But I'm here for you if you change your mind."_ Sam smiled and got up to hug Taurtis, which was gladly returned. _"Okay Bunny boy, you best get ready while I finish getting ready so we have time to eat and pack a lunch."_ Sam pouted, _"Don't call me that!"_ Taurtis laughed and raced out of the room shouting _"Bunny boy, bunny boy, bunny boy!" "Tauuuuuurtissssssss!"_ Most of the morning was filled with yelling, laughing, and chaos as everyone got ready.

-Hey! Author's note, sorry the chapters are so short! But don't worry, I plan to have quite a few chapters to make up for it. This story is going to be a very slow update just as a warning. I can only work on it every now and again because of how busy I am all the time. Hope you enjoy!

-Firre


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: To Class We Go!**

As expected, they wound up wasting too much time goofing off and had to desperately run to school so they wouldn't be late. " _Come on Taurtis, hurry! We're gonna be late!"_ Taurtis was, of course, lagging behind the hybrid, he was part rabbit for Pete's sake! Of course he was faster and had more energy! " _S-sor- *gasp* -ry S-am.. Very t-i-ired…"_ Sam groaned and stomped his foot a few times in aggravation, just like a rabbit. " _Go ahead and head to school Taurtis, I'll get our food for lunch and meet you, I'll grab our usuals."_ Taurtis nodded. " _You're an angel I swear… Meet you there…"_ Taurtis then tiredly dragged himself towards the school and got in his and Sam's lockers to get their stuff for class. Seconds later, he found himself on the ground with an arm-full of a bunny boy. " _Hi Sam."_ Sam blinked before flushing. " _I- I'm so sorry Taurtis! I was trying to hurry and… And.."_ Taurtis chuckled and fixed Sam's beanie. " _Chill Sam, it's ok, thanks for getting our food, I got our stuff from the lockers."_ Sam smiled brightly " _oh good thinking! Now come on, we gotta hurry!"_ Sam got off and helped Taurtis up before taking his stuff from Taurtis and bolting to the class, going slow enough so that Taurtis could easily keep up. They barely managed to get inside just before their names were called, talk about good timing. " _Does everyone have their poems?"_ Sam quietly got his out and slid the one he did for Taurtis to him. " _Good, because you will be reading them aloud to the class. No worries, you can read directly in front of it since I didn't warn you to try and remember. As for some of you more shy students, you can have another student read yours for you."_ Sam glanced at Taurtis, and without a word Taurtis nodded and took the poem from Sam. Ms. Okami smiled as she called student by name alphabetically. One by one, they each did their poems. Some were good, others not so much.

" _Okay, Sam, you're next. Are you reading yours or is somebody reading it for you?"_ Taurtis stood. " _I'll be reading it for him."_ Ms. Okami nodded and stepped away from the podium, allowing Taurtis to walk up. " _Once you finish his you can read yours, just make sure you mention whose is whose."_ Taurtis nodded. Taurtis glanced down at the paper and paused as he read it over to try to get a good idea of what it said and almost snorted, he only hoped his wasn't as cheesy as Sam's.

" _I'd just like to take this time to say just how you make me feel. Your smile darkens my brightest day and makes our friendship real. Every time you hold my hand, I feel the butterflies take flight, and I find myself missing you each time you're out of sight._

 _Each morning when I awake, you're the first thing on my mind, and I'll protect the special bond we share because true love is hard to find._

 _You're someone very special and this I know is true. I'm happier than I've ever been and I owe that all to you."_

Most of the people in the class aww'd, others cried, and a few tried to act tough, but it was a really sweet poem. " _That was...very good Sam… May I inquire who it was about?"_ Sam flushed a bit and shook his head no. " _S-sorry, but, I didn't think we'd have to read it out loud o-or I would have chose another topic…"_ Ms. Okami nodded and smiled sweetly. " _Whoever it is for, I hope they know they're very loved." "I bet you it's Sookie."_ Someone laughed. " _No way it's totally for me!"_ Invader chirruped. " _No way Invader!"_ Dom hissed before glaring at Sam. Taurtis glanced at the other poem and smiled to himself, ignoring the chaos around him as he thought to himself. At least Sam knew him well.

" _We find strength in the most ironic way._

 _We find it when we are weakest,_

 _when we think we are breaking into a shattered chaos._

 _We have to learn to have the strength_

 _To let go of what doesn't make us strong."_

This time, instead of tearful replies, he got a cheer of agreement. " _Very encouraging Taurtis! You really captured the room and inspired us all."_ Taurtis grinned and gave a dramatic bow. " _Thank you, thank you, I'll be here for six more hours folks!"_ Everyone laughed as he dramatically made his way back to his desk beside Sam's. He leaned over and whispered " _Thanks bunny boy, really saved my cottontail."_ Sam huffed and pushed him lightly in annoyance, only to pout more when Taurtis just laughed and pushed him back lightly. A little bit later, they all had finished their poems and were allowed the rest of class as free time, seeing as Ms. Okami expected it to take a bit longer. The rest of the class was filled with jokes, flirts, and antics formed from boredom.

-Hey and hello again! Welcome back to CHAPTER 2 of The Rabbit's Cage! For those of you wondering, no, I did NOT make the quotes but I will gladly tell you where I got them/who they're by if I can. The first quote (in order of story) is from and it didn't list who it was by. The second quote was by Chrissie Pinney. Sorry again they're so short!

-Firre


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Petting Is Illegal**

Everyone was still in high spirits as they all went to lunch. During lunch, people were talking, laughing, and generally having a good time. At Sam, Taurtis, and J's table there was a lot of jokes and arguing. _"Taurtis! Quit calling me that!" "But you're a bunny and you're a boy!" "Taurtis!"_ Sam hissed. _"Sam!"_ Taurtis laughed. _"Jaaay!"_ J yelled. J and Taurtis then both dissolved into laughter while Sam whined at them. _"You guys are so mean." "Aww Sam, you know you looooove us."_ Taurtis teased while going in for a hug. Sam huffed and smacked Taurtis's shoulder, which just proved to set them into even more laughter.  
After lunch, everyone went to gym class. _"GOOD EVENING MAGGOTS, GO CHANGE AND GET READY TO EXERCISE!"_ Everyone quickly rushed to the respective locker rooms and changed. Sam groaned as he glanced down at his shorts, no matter his he set them they aggravated his tail and caused him discomfort, he really needed to find his other pair of gym shorts, they were more comfortable. He ended up giving up with a sigh and letting his tail out. He looked up and froze, everybody was staring at him, or rather, his tail. _"Uh?" "You...have a tail?"_ Dom muttered as if it was the most absurd thing he's ever seen. _"Yeah... You didn't know?" "I always thought the ears were fake... And part of your beanie." "No... Ears are real too."_ Sam muttered unsure. There was a long term of silence before Dom approached. The poor rabbit quickly backed up trying to avoid him, but the other male just approached and blocked all paths of escape. _"Hold. Still."_ Sam flinched back as Dom reached forward, and grabbed his ear. _"...Holy crap! They are!"_

Suddenly, everyone was reaching forward and trying to touch his ears and his tail. _"St-stop! Hey! Don't!"_ He yelped and whined in discomfort as they kept trying to feel his ears. "It's as soft as an actual rabbit's fur!" Somebody yelled to the others. _"Please stop..."_ Quickly, J and Taurtis managed to push everyone aside and move in front of Sam, keeping everyone from touching him. _"Hey back off! He asked you to stop touching him!" "Come on Taurtis, move out of the way!"_ Taurtis growled a bit and moved further in front of Sam, blocking their view of him. _"He said to stop, so leave him alone."_ Before the argument could continue or escalate, Coach Rowan marched down the stairs. _"WHAT IS TAKING YOU MAGGOTS!? EVEN THE GIRLS ARE READY ALREADY!"_ Taurtis glared at Dom. _"Some people don't know the term 'personal boundaries'."_ Rowan let out an annoyed grunt. _"QUIT BEING BABIES AND GET UPSTAIRS, I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE DONE DRESSING OR NOT!"_ Everyone quickly started up the stairs and bolted into the gym. _"EXCEPT FOR TAURTIS AND DOM! YOU TWO GET OVER HERE!"_ Dom and Taurtis both groaned loudly. Sam nervously glanced at Taurtis who gave him a small smile and a 'go on' gesture. Quietly, Sam left while only glancing back a few times. _"ALRIGHT WHAT HAPPENED MAGGOTS! WHY DID YOU DELAY THE WHOLE CLASS FROM GETTING OUT!?" "We saw Sam's tail and wanted to see if his tail and ears were real." "He asked them to stop touching him multiple times and they refused, so I pushed them back away from him!" "Oh please, it's not like we were hurting him!" "He told you to stop!" "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"_ They both silences themselves pretty quick. _"DOM, DON'T TOUCH PEOPLE WITHOUT PERMISSION! TAURTIS! GOOD JOB PROTECTING YOUR FRIEND!"_  
Dom huffed and walked up the stairs as Taurtis hung back. _"Hey, Coach Rowan, can I ask you something?" "WHAT?" "You gotta keep this a secret first." "Fine, fine, I'll keep it a secret kid. What's wrong?" "I need you to help me protect Sam." "What's happening with Sam?"_ Taurtis sighed and rolled his sleeve up and showed his arm. _"I think I have an evil clone. They were insane. I also think they're obsessed with Sam."_ Rowan frowned for several moments as he processed what he heard. _"Does your clone look exactly like you?" "Only difference is he's covered in blood, has red eyes, and carries a bloody knife."_ Rowan nodded. _"I'll keep an eye out for him. I'll also keep it a secret for you, but don't you think you should tell Sam at least?" "I don't wanna scare him"_ Taurtis muttered softly. _"Alright, but I really think you should. Now, GET OUTSIDE AND STRETCH MAGGOT!"_ As Taurtis passed, he softly pat Taurtis on the shoulder and whispered. _"It'll be okay Taurtis, we'll figure it out."_ Taurtis glanced back with a smile before running out and joining the others,just to see the girls bothering Sam now. _"Seriously! Stop touching him already!"_ Taurtis ran over and grabbed Sam before pulling him away from the girls and keeping between them all. _"ENOUGH MAGGOTS! GET RUNNING LAPS!"_ With a jolt, everybody did as told. _"PICK IT UP MAGGOTS, YOU GOT FOUR MORE MINUTES!"_ A chorus of 'ugh's and 'nooo's filled the air. _"QUIT YOUR CRYING AND GET A MOVE ON! BE MORE LIKE SAM!" "That's not fair! He's part rabbit!"_ One of the girls hissed. _"AND YOU'RE PART LAZY!"_ After about four more minutes, Rowan decided to show them mercy. _"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS! MEET UP! WE'RE GONNA PICK A GAME TO PLAY!"_ Some people cheered while others whimpered for the sweet mercy of the bell. _"TAKE A VOTE! LEMME LIST THE GAMES FIRST! DODGEBALL, TAG, BASKETBALL, OR OBSTACLE COURSES!"_ People yelled and screamed and jumped to try to get Rowan's attention so they could get their game picked. _"QUIET MAGGOTS! ONE AT A TIME!"_ After it was tallied up, it was determined that dodgeball just barely had the most votes.  
 _"HERE ARE THE TEAMS! TEAM ONE IS SAM, DOM, J, INVADER, AND SOUL! TEAM TWO IS PIE, SOOKIE, TAURTIS, JTS, AND HIDDEN!"_ Quite a few people groaned _"Don't put that weakling on my team Rowan!" "SHUT IT MAGGOT! THESE ARE THE TEAMS AND YOU WILL DEAL WITH IT!"_ Invader almost immediately coo'd and clung to the poor hybrid. _"Sammy-poo! We get to be on the same team! Don't worry! I'll protect you!~"_ Sam sighed weakly as his ears tilted back in dismay _"...great..."_ Taurtis smiled sheepishly at the rabbit hybrid _"Sorry, hope you don't get hurt too much." "You too."_ Everyone quickly took their sides of the court and got ready to start. _"THREE, TWO, ONE... BEGIN!"_ It immediately went to chaos.

-Hello, hello, hello again! Back with Chapter 3 of The Rabbit's Cage! Sorry It took me a bit to post this 1. Also, I did go back to the last 2 and fix the dialogue a bit to make it a bit more understandable, sorry about that!

-Firre


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Dream A Little (Less)**

Sam managed to survive the entire first round because Invader kept her word and guarded him like he was a secret treasure of some kind, Taurtis got outed by J, J got outed by JTS, Invader caught JTS out when he tried to get Sam, Sookie took down Soul but got caught by Dom, and Hidden and Pie took each other out at the same time. " _TEAM ONE IS THE VICTOR THIS ROUND!"_ The next round they won again, but it had been a very close round with just Sam and J versing JTS at the end. The only reason Sam survived was because he was fast enough to dodge everything and JTS was too distracted trying to get Sam out and forgot about J. The last round they also won due to Invaders sheer rage; it was because Sam got a concussion when JTS got him straight in the head and knocked him flat. She wrecked the entire enemy team herself, Taurtis was just grateful he was already out when it happened. " _TAURTIS! TAKE SAM TO THE NURSE! I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO STAY THERE WITH HIM!"_ Taurtis nodded with a smile before picking Sam up piggy back style. " _Cya guys!" "Later Taurtis! Wish Sam a get well for us!" "Tell my beloved rabbit I hope he feels better and that I slaughtered the enemy team for him!" "...okaaaaay."_

Taurtis was trying not to laugh as he carried Sam, the hybrid's floppy ears were rubbing into Taurtis's neck and tickling him. However, he managed to keep his laughing down as he got to the nurse. " _Mr. Taurtis? What brings you here to- oh! What happened to your bunny friend?"_ Taurtis quietly set Sam down on one of the beds in the nurse's office. " _JTS pegged him in the head during dodgeball and knocked him flat. I'm honestly surprised nobody else is in here after Invader's rampage."_ The nurse chuckled nervously as she walked over to check his head. " _He'll be fine, just a minor concussion. Would you rather stay here till he wakes up or head back to class?"_ Taurtis hummed to himself. " _I'll stay here if that's okay."_ She just nodded and went over to a cabinet to get out some painkillers and then going over to the sink to get some water. " _Just make sure he takes these when he wakes up okay? Else he's going to have a horrendous headache."_ He nodded as she set them down on the nightstand and started to walk away. " _I'm gonna head over and work on some paper work, please stay here and notify me if he awakes."_ Taurtis gave a mock salute before relaxing in the chair next to the bed.

Taurtis managed to fall asleep within minutes of sitting down, only to be woken up by Sam's panicked yell. " _Leave me alone!" "Hey! Sam! It's okay! It's okay! Shh!"_ It took him several moments to calm the frantic hybrid. He didn't even notice that he had climbed into the bed and was hugging the hybrid while trying to calm him. " _Shh, it's okay Sam. I'm here. What happened?"_ Sam sighed as he rubbed his eyes and curled into the hug. " _It's nothing Taurtis… Honest."_ The black haired male sighed as he tried to figure out what was wrong. " _Sam, please just tell me. If something's bothering you I can't help if you won't tell me."_ The hybrid just curled up more in response. " _It was just a nightmare Taurtis." "Please Sam, what's going on?"_ The rabbit sighed, his ears drooping lower. " _It was just a nightmare." "What was it about?" "...I don't want to upset you…" "Sam." "It was about you." "What?" "I don't know why but I've had a lot of nightmares about you lately. Nightmares where you've gone insane and killed people and won't let me go."_ Taurtis frowned before a thought dawned on him. " _Do I have red eyes?" "Wh-what?" "In your dream, do I have red eyes?"_ Sam looked kind of confused before nodding. " _Yeah, how'd you know?"_ Taurtis frowned uneasily, unsure if he should say anything. " _I… Have a clone with red eyes… I met them the other day and they seemed odd. Just wanted to know if maybe, it was connected."_ He couldn't think of a good enough lie in the end. Sam looked nervous, but he didn't look skeptical, he believed him. Suddenly, Sam froze and locked eyes on Taurtis's arm. " _Taurtis, what happened to your arm?"_ Taurtis cringed as he thought about a good lie, he didn't want to scare the hybrid. " _I accidentally tripped this morning and cut myself on the counter."_ Sam looked him over, his brown eyes scanning for hints of a lie, and not liking what he saw. " _If you say so…"_ Sam clearly didn't believe it, but he thankfully let it drop. " _Hey, are we clear to go home yet?"_ Taurtis glanced at the clock, right before the bell went off. " _I'd say we can."_ Sam just rolled his eyes and stood up, only to groan and rub his head. " _Ugh, I feel like somebody pelted me with a snowball."_ Taurtis almost facepalmed as he remembered what he forgot to do. " _The nurse left some painkillers and water for you, heh, sorry, I forgot for a bit."_ Sam just gave him an 'are you kidding me' look before glancing at the nightstand where they were and taking them quickly. After a bit of relaxing to let the medicine kick in, the two boys decided it was time to head home. Along the way, they talked a little about everything and nothing, in short, it was peaceful.

Arriving at the house, they both settled down to watch some TV before playing some gamecrab. They weren't really watching the show, they both were a little preoccupied in their own thoughts. Sam was thinking about his dream and Taurtis's arm and Taurtis was thinking about his evil clone, guess things weren't so peaceful after all? " _Hey...Sam?" "Yeah Taurtis?" "How's….how's your head?"_ Sam blinked for a moment before realizing his headache had completely passed by now " _Oh, I forgot all about it to be honest!"_ Taurtis nodded slowly before turning back, he didn't have it in him to tell Sam what he really wanted to tell him. " _Hey... Sam, I know things may seem crazy now, but...I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"_ Sam just smiled at him while facing the TV before softly responding " _I know, Joey. Hey, what time is it?"_ Taurtis glanced over at the clock. " _Oh dang, we got so distracted we didn't notice that it was 10:00!"_ Sam almost immediately leapt off the couch and bolted towards the bathroom. " _Nooooo! My sleep schedule!"_ Taurtis just laughed as he went to their room and waited for Sam to finish his bath so that he could take his. What a day. _WaSn'T iT?_

 _-_ AAAAND DONE! This one took me a wee bit longer than the others because I was a little busy with theatre and the likes, but I got it finished! Sorry that, as per usual, it's a bit short but hey, at least it's done and doesn't look too shabby! See you all in the next one!

-Firre


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Words Can Be Knives**

" _Taurtis! Get up! We need to get ready for school! Taurtis!"_ Taurtis groaned and rolled over muttering something about 'five more minutes'. " _Taurtis! Wake up! There's an intruder in the house!"_ That seemed to do the trick seeing that Taurtis shot out of bed " _Not in my house! Fight me you- oh. Morning Sam."_ Sam just giggled to himself before walking to the door " _Hurry up and get ready Taurtis. We gotta get to school soon."_ The black haired male groaned and tried to roll back into bed, only to get a bag of Toritos thrown at him in response. " _Get up or I'm leaving you behind." "Noooo, Saaaaam. I'll get up I swear!" "You better."_ After the boys finished getting ready, or rather, Taurtis finally finished getting ready, they rushed to CrabManCarl and PufferFishPete's store to get their lunch before bolting to the school. Luckily, today they had plenty of time so they didn't have to run nearly as fast as yesterday. A few moments after arriving, it was time for roll call. Roll call went quick enough, only Yuki, Chan,Pepe, Ellen, and Patty were absent. " _That's_ _the second time in a row, wonder what's up with them?"_ Sam whispered softly to Taurtis. " _Chan, Yuki, Pepe, Ellen, and Patty haven't been back in a while. It's kinda weird."_ Sam nodded softly and was about to speak before Okami cut him off. " _We will be doing math today, so please get your books out."_ A collective sigh rang out as everyone got their stuff out. " _Today we will be working on inequalities. Turn to chapter 3 in your books please."_ The rest of the class was fairly uneventful as everyone did their homework. " _Okay everyone, homework on page 243 tonight, numbers one through 12. Make sure you get it done."_ The bell rang, clearing them to head off to lunch.

Sam smiled cheerfully as he and Taurtis headed down to lunch, he hadn't had a nightmare last night, so he felt infinitely better. Of course, Dom had to go and ruin his mood by shoving him down the steps. " _Seriously Dom! Leave Sam alone!" "Ha, not my fault the loser can't walk to save his life." "He'd walk better if you'd stop tripping him."_ Dom just waved his hand with a laugh as he walked away with Hidden and JTS to their table. Taurtis quietly helped Sam up. " _You okay Sam?"_ Sam nodded before shaking his head and smiling. " _I'm okay Taurtis."_ Taurtis sighed as he went over to their lunch table and sat down, Sam quick behind him. After a few moments, J caught up. " _Hey J!"_ Sam said with a soft smile. " _Hey Sam, good to see you." "Where's my hello?"_ J grinned. " _Do I know you?" "It is I, the ever perfect, really cool, friend of yours named Taurtis!"_ Sam rolled his eyes with a soft smile as J laughed. " _Whatever you say 'Taurtis'. Whatever you say."_ Taurtis pouted, which made the other two laugh. Suddenly, Sam quietly excused himself to the bathroom and hurried off. After a few more moments, J broke the silence " _Say, Taurtis, can I ask you something?" "Uh,sure?" "Why were you walking around last night?" "What are you talking about?" "I saw you walking around last night, you looked hurt."_ Taurtis grimaced, did J see the clone? " _I wasn't."_ J shook his head, looking serious. " _Don't lie to me Taurtis. I saw you." "Honest, I really wasn't out last night!" "But I saw you, you were covered in blood and walking funny!"_ Taurtis grimaced as he glanced around to make sure no was listening before leaning in. " _That wasn't me. I think I have an evil clone."_ J was silent for several moments. " _You don't believe me, do you, J?"_ J shrugged " _As crazy as it sounds, there's been a lot of weird stuff that's happened around here."_ Taurtis sighed in both relief and apprehension, he wasn't sure how to continue. " _If… If you see me acting weird, or bloody, or if I have red eyes you should avoid me. That clone is me J, promise me you'll be careful." "Alright Taurtis, I promise I'll be careful. And- hey wait, did you warn anybody else?" "I warned Rowan and soooorta warned Sam?" "Sorta?" "I warned him I had a clone and told him how it looks! Isn't that good enough?"_ J gave Taurtis a plain glance. " _Did you mention he was evil?" "Well, no."_ J facepalmed and looked back up at Taurtis. " _Taurtis you really should tell him before-"_

" _Hey guys I'm back!"_ The both looked up to see Sam returning, J then sent Taurtis a warning look. " _Taurtis I mean it-" "-Sam! What took ya? Carrot go down the wrong way?"_ Taurtis yelped, hoping to interrupt J. Sam rolled his eyes and swatted Taurtis on the arm before glancing at J, and immediately looking concerned. " _J, you okay? You look kinda upset."_ J faked a small smile at Sam. " _Just tired."_ Sam smiled sweetly at him and patted his arm in return. " _I can relate, hope you feel better in time for gym class."_ The three spent the majority of lunch joking around and smiling, but J kept giving Taurtis a warning glance, as if saying ' _you better tell him'_ without any words. After that, they all talked for several minutes, mostly about random stuff. " _So then I actually managed to beat Taurtis at Mario Kart! It took me forever but I finally won! And…"_ Sam's voice trailed off as his eyes followed something at the window and paused for a minute. " _...-ou okay? You suddenly cut yourself off."_ Sam blinked in surprise as the voice brought him back. " _I'm sorry, what? I got a little distracted." "Is something wrong Sam?"_ Taurtis and J both glanced over at the window, wondering what had distracted Sam, but whatever it was, was gone. Sam shook his head. " _It was nothing, I just managed to derail my train of thought. What were we talking about again?"_ Taurtis and J both shared an uneasy frown, they noticed that Sam's ears were pinned back and he wasn't quite making eye contact, he was lying. " _Sam, is something wrong?"_ J said, concern filling his voice. " _If anything is you can tell us!" Taurtis agreed. "Yeah, what Taurtis said!"_ J pitched in cheerfully. Sam merely shook his head with a smile, though it seemed strained, " _Honest, I just lost my train of thought, I'm fine!"_ The other two boys sighed, knowing he wouldn't open up so easily.

" _Sam, you know you can tell us anything right? We're here for-"_ It was around that time that the bell rang, signaling lunch's end. " _-...you."_ Taurtis finished softly. Sam quickly sat up and stretched. " _Let's head to gym! We don't want to be late!"_ However, before Sam could run ahead, Taurtis caught his arm. " _Sam."_ Sam slowly glanced back. " _Yeah?" "If anything is wrong, tell me or J, we can't help you if you push us away."_ Sam softly tugged his arm away. " _I'm okay Taurtis, everything's...fine, honest." "Promise?"_ Sam hesitated to respond, " _...I..."_ he still had no answer. " _Sam?" "..I promise.."_ Taurtis locked eyes with Sam, or at least tried to, Sam wouldn't keep eye contact. " _..Sam. It's really unlike you to lie, I really wish you would tell me what was wrong." "I told you, it's nothing Taurtis!"_ Sam was slowly looking more and more upset the more Taurtis insisted on Sam telling him. Meanwhile, Taurtis was a little stunned, Sam rarely yells out of anything other than excitement. Taurtis backed up a bit, trying not to show how hurt he was. " _Fine Sam. If you insist."_ Without another word, Taurtis turned away from Sam and started walking towards the gym, " _W-wait, Taurtis-" "We need to hurry so we won't be late Sam."_ Sam stayed quiet for several moments as Taurtis continued ahead without him. Shaking his head softly, Sam followed without talking. It was probably going to be very awkward between the friends for some time to come.

-Ahhhhh that took forever! But none the less, another chapter is out by yours truly! Note, I also have this story on my Wattpad account, so if you see it there it wasn't stolen (as long as it was by Starfire Shadowmist there of course) so no worries! Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

-Firre


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mr. Snugglemuffins**

J kept glancing from Sam to Taurtis, looking conflicted. He quietly leaned over and whispered to Taurtis. " _Can you really be angry with him? You are keeping secrets from him, he has the right to keep them from you."_ Taurtis sent J a sharp look. " _It's not that. It's that he promised and lied."_ " _You were kinda pushing him to talk." "I'm his best friend, it's my job to help him and support him." "Whatever it is, he's probably scared and unsure, he may just be too scared to talk about it." "Enough J. I'd rather not keep talking about this."_ J sighed weakly as he drifted back to talk to Sam. " _How long do you think you two will be fighting for?"_ Sam shook his head. " _I don't know… I hope not for long."_ J nodded softly. " _Don't you think you should at least talk about it?" "Talk about what?" "whatever's going on with you." "It's nothing J."_ J sighed softly. " _Sam, Taurtis was right when he said we can't help you if you don't tell us. We just want to help you." "There's nothing to say J."_

J shook his head, why were his friends so stubborn? He quietly fixed his glasses and walked into the changing room. Sam and Taurtis stayed near each other in spite of their fighting, hopefully they would stop fighting soon. Nobody touched Sam today, they could practically feel the sharper energy from Sam and Taurtis and didn't wanna risk it. " _ALRIGHT MAGGOTS! TODAY WE ARE GONNA DO OUR STRETCHES AND THEN HEAD OUT TO SWIM!" "Why didn't you tell us before we changed?" "BECAUSE I CAN, NOW GET OUTSIDE!"_ People quietly headed to the gym, looking tired. Once again, people were forced to change. " _LET'S PRACTICE DIVING, SO CLIMB UP THE DIVING BOARDS AND GET READY TO JUMP! EXTRA CREDITS FOR THOSE THAT TAKE THE BIG DIVE!"_ Apparently the thought of extra credits were too tempting, considering everybody immediately went to the high diving board. It didn't take long for everybody to get through, it really helped that some people got knocked off the board into the water. After that, they were allowed to swim around or relax by the pool till it was time to go.

J was a little nervous to leave the two friends alone when they were fighting, he just hoped they'd make up soon, it was weird to see them so distant from each other. Soon, the bell rang, which allowed them to head home. " _Later J." "..Bye J, cya tomorrow."_ J glanced at Sam and Taurtis " _Later guys, be safe getting home. Cya tomorrow!"_ The two boys nodded and watched J walk off to his house before quietly walking to their home. Along the way, Sam paused for a moment, which causes Taurtis to pause when he noticed. " _...Taurtis?" "Yeah Sam?" "I'm sorry for yelling at you, you were just trying to help me."_ Taurtis sighed in relief, the silence was starting to bother him. " _It's okay Sam, I shouldn't have been prying so much." "Still. You were just trying to help…" "I forgive you Sam, its okay."_ Sam smiled, looking like his usual chipper self. Sam and Taurtis walked the rest of the way side-by-side.

After arriving home, Taurtis plopped on the couch and Sam headed to the kitchen " _Taurtis, do you want anything?" "What do we have?" "Carrots, bread, soup, potatoes, beef, cereal, corn dogs, pizza rolls, and Toritos."_ Sam didn't even have to look back to see Taurtis's grin, he could hear it. " _Toritos you say?" "Yes but I mean dinner, not a snack."_ Taurtis pouted. " _Fine. How about… Snack for dinner for today and pot roast for tomorrow?"_ Sam nodded " _That'll do, mind cutting up the beef for the pot roast while I cut the carrots? After we finish we can peel and cut the potatoes together depending on how fast we get done."_ Taurtis nodded as he got up and trudged into the kitchen. It didn't take them long to finish the meal, and after that, they made a quick dinner snack consisting of Toritos, carrots, Mountain Dew, and pizza rolls. They were just casually eating while watching a random episode of One Punch Man. " _Oh! We forgot about the homework!"_ Taurtis groaned " _Do we have to?" "Yes Taurtis, we need to keep our grades up."_ Taurtis whined as Sam got their homework out. " _Come on, I'll help you." "Alright. Alright."_ After that, the boys took their baths and got ready for bed.

Sam couldn't sleep, he tried but he just couldn't slip off. Unbeknownst to him, neither could Taurtis. " _Taurtis? You up?"_ Sam practically whispered, slightly worried that he might accidentally wake Taurtis if he was sleeping. Taurtis quietly rolled over to face Sam, grateful that he wasn't the only one up. " _Yeah I'm up. Can't sleep?"_ Sam shook his head. " _Yeah, you neither?"_ Taurtis nodded sleepily. " _Yeah, no clue why."_ Sam fidgeted a bit as he clung to his bear. " _Wanna go downstairs and watch TV till we fall asleep?"_ Taurtis asked softly. Sam smiled " _You sure we'll wake up without an alarm clock?"_ Taurtis shrugged, he was okay with being late, it's Sam that worries. " _We'll be fine, but if it means so much we can just set an alarm on our phone and have it charge near us." "That'll do."_ The two quietly crawled out of bed, grabbed a big blanket and two pillows, and headed downstairs. Sam sleepily climbed onto the couch as Taurtus turned on D Gray Man before climbing in as well. They quietly curled up into the blanket together and relaxed. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep this round.

Sam later awoke to the alarm with slight confusion; he was laying on top of something soft and warm, but there was a weight around him that wouldn't let him up. After he woke up enough to recognize his surroundings, he flushed. He was laying on Taurtis and using him as a pillow, his being discarded on the floor. " _T-Taurtis, wake up."_ Instead, he did the opposite, he pulled Sam closer and hugged him tighter. By this point, Sam's face was crimson. " _Taurtis wake up!"_ Taurtis muttered something sleepily and nuzzled into Sam's neck, only proving to fluster him worse as he tried to wiggle out of Taurtis's sleepy grip. He didn't really want to startle Taurtis in fear of getting thrown off the couch or something but Taurtis wouldn't get up any other way, he just hoped it wouldn't hurt. " _Taurtis! Someone's trying to rob the house!"_

Unsurprisingly, it woke him as per usual. However, instead of leaping up and making a battle stance, he pushed the rabbit hybrid into the couch and got into a protective battle stance. " _What is with people and-! Hey, where's the thief?"_ Sam laughed at Taurtis's antics. " _Sorry Taurtis, I had to wake you and you wouldn't budge."_ Taurtis groaned and got up, trying to fix his hair as Sam laughed. " _Don't you have any other way to wake me?" "Why fix what already works?" "Cause one day there's gonna be a real intruder and I'll think its just you trying to wake me so I'll ignore you but there's a real threat."_ Sam sighed but couldn't help but smile " _I'll think of another way then." "Good, but in the meantime, we should get ready for school." "Mhmm, don't forget to grab your homework." "Do I ever?"_ Sam just sent him a plain look, clearly challenging that statement. " _Sam, imma go take a shower-"_ he quickly continued before Sam could interrupt him. " _-and I'll hurry!" "But you always take forever!"_ Sam whined. " _No woooorriesss!~"_ Sam almost groaned as he watched Taurtis run up the stairs.


End file.
